1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopedic surgical procedures and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for orthopedic measurements.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, there is no known way to accurately measure the proper size for an orthopedic prosthesis implant, such as a cervical plate, or the like. Traditional methods to determine the correct size require trial and error. As one example, anterior cervical decompression and fusion is performed through a small transverse skin incision in the front of the neck. The procedure involves the removal of one or more spinal discs to decompress the spinal cord and exiting nerve roots. The spinal disc heights are increased because the discs are replaced with bone grafts to decompress the exiting nerve roots. Before placing the grafts, the surgeon templates for the height of the disc spaces with wedges, or spacers, of known dimensions. The spacers are then removed and the grafts are placed. Following the placement of grafts, the surgeon must tunnel a long cervical plate down to the spine for fusions of one or more disc spaces. The length of the plates is minimized in order to avoid adjacent segment degeneration, making accuracy crucial. Often, the first plate chosen and placed in position is either too short or too long. In order to determine the correct plate, a surgeon must remove the incorrect length plate and try another size plate. This method of trial and error requires additional soft tissue retraction causing additional trauma to the tissue resulting in longer recovery time and increased scar tissue. It also increases the time required to perform the procedure and the chance of concomitant risks.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for methods and apparatuses that allow for improved accuracy in orthopedic measurement, e.g., when performing anterior cervical decompression and fusion, when determining the proper size for an orthopedic prosthesis implant or the like. There also remains a need in the art for such methods and apparatuses that are easy to make and use. The present invention provides a solution for these problems.